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Whittier Council denies appeals to block removal of failing trees for Palm Avenue project
Summary
The City Council unanimously denied appeals seeking to block removal of trees on Palm Avenue, siding with staff and arborists that the trees pose structural-failure risks and must be removed as part of the Palm Avenue Infrastructure Improvement Project; council discussed replacement plans and liability concerns.
The Whittier City Council on May 13 unanimously denied appeals opposing the removal of trees in the Palm Avenue Infrastructure Improvement Project, concluding the trees pose a structural-failure risk that requires mitigation through removal and replacement.
Interim Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services David Montgomery-Scott presented the staff report and described two independent arborists’ recommendations that removal was warranted in specified cases because of tree health and structural concerns. City Attorney Keith Collins, Interim Director Montgomery-Scott, Public Works Director Kyle Cason, Parks Manager Arturo Soriano and consultant Eric Gorsuch of V & E answered council questions about the arborists’ analyses, mitigation measures, and timelines.
Council members pressed staff for specifics on replacement plantings and timelines. Staff discussed trade-offs between planting 15-gallon trees and larger 36-inch box trees, the city’s liability related to dying trees, engineering options for individual tree sites such as potholing and root-zone analyses, and ongoing monitoring of replacement-tree survival. The transcript records discussion of the number of trees in the project area and the number to be replaced, but does not list exact counts; staff described replacement size and timeline options rather than committing to a single approach.
Mayor Pro Tem Octavio Martinez moved and Council Member Cathy Warner seconded the motion to deny the appeals. The motion carried unanimously. The denial upholds the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission’s earlier decision and allows the Palm Avenue improvement work, including the identified tree removals, to proceed per the project plan.
The Council’s action concluded the appeal process for this agenda item. The meeting continued with other business and later adjourned at 9:39 p.m.
